Is this GERD?

[scorpion91]

Brief description of myself

Male

Hispanic

23

Social drinker(at occasions with friends but I tend to keep it to 5-6 drinks)

Occasional marijuana use

Current medications/supplements I take: Melatonin 5mg, Creatine Mono(one scoop after workout), Tums when I have GERD feeling, Prilosec 20mg.

 

Yeah, I've had some real odd symptoms that have been bothering me since late April-mid May of this year. It started off with some typical allergies, which I treated. Then I noticed some weird feeling like food being inhaled my nose. I went to an urgent care clinic near my university, and the Doc there gave me script for Pesuofed and a steroid. I took the Pesofed but it made me more anxious than usual, and made me loose weight a bit. Some around this window, I recall I began to have some "odd throat feelings".

 

"Odd Throat feelings"

-Swallow hesistations

-Hard swallows at times

 

Then I began to have some bloating feelings and fullness with barely some bits of food ate. So I bought some tums which somewhat worked a bit. At the same time, I noticed food reguiration which I still experience. Though, I have braces and food typically gets stuck around my braces/teeth. I've tended to notice that certain food items are hard to swallow at times.

 

I had asked the health center nurse line at my university for suggestions, and the nurse on duty I spoke to in early May, had said to me I could have GERD and made suggestions what to buy. I had bought a PPI(Pirlosec OTC) at a CVS, and it somewhat worked. I had some increased anxiety palpiations, and constipation somewhat.

 

Though, certain times the "swallowing issues" I had would come and go through May, and also the fullness and bloating feeling. At times when this occurred, I took the Prilosec OTC and the tums.

 

Also, I noticed random pressure in my ears and I used a nasal spray to treat that which somewhat worked.

 

And also, I felt a random "burning feeling" at the back of throat in Mid-May, which I don't experience at the moment.

 

I went to my ENT doc last Friday(June 5) and explain my symptoms to him. He did a brief physical exam of my neck, ear, nose, and throat area. Then, he did a flexible largnyoscopy, and he gave me a prognosis of GERD. He said my vocal cord area was red, but he reiterated that it was not bad as other patients he's seen. He wrote me two Rxs for a nasal spray and Prilsec 40mg.

 

Though, my "swallowing issues" appeared to go away slightly last weekend till mid week(this week).

 

I'm unsure what is causing the "swallowing issues." Today, I tried to take my Prilosec 40mg, but I had trouble swallowing the capsule. I had my OTC Prilosec 20mg and was able to. Though, I've had some issues with pill swallowing for a few years, and I'm unsure if that's related to the gerd or to the anxiety I have or a combination of the two.

 

In addition, I have felt some acid/watery feeling when I'm trying to swallow that "builds up" when I eat solid foods. Also, I've felt the random throat tightness and increased salivia in mouth as well. And the reguirtation and the problem of swallowing solids(e.g. meats). And also, I get some random heart palpiation feeling when I eat. I did get my heart palpitations checked out last month, and the cardio doc gave me a stress test and holter, and that came out fine despite a slight tachy. The cardio doc said the palps cause could either be anxiety or maybe patho.

 

I do eat, but I noticed the GERD has made my weight appear to be "static." I tend to weight around 115-120. I'm a 23 year old dude, but I tend to weight in the 120-125 range.

 

Also, I've felt some bloating, tightness, fullness feelings. And also, constipation and even when I "go", I still feel like I can't empty myself.

 

I'm unsure, if I have GERD or something else. I mean, my only fears are I have esophagus cancer or something wrong with my esophagus or gastro tract. I mean, the ENT doc ran the endoscopy down my vocal cords, and if there was something at my vocals cords he would've told me which rules out the larynx and throat as culprits of the swallowing and other issues I've had, I can assume. The swallowing thing somewhat concerns me, because I know I haven't choked on food, but I'm unaware of "silent aspiration." I'm unsure if I have "silent aspirated" any food, but I know I haven't "silent aspirated" 100 percent of my food, because I wouldn't been able to type this entire message out.

 

I try to not let this bs get to me. I do workout each day on my threadmil at my house, I do hang out with friends and stuff. But I just don't want to be paranoid or near hypochondriac but I'm unsure what the heck is going on. I'm mean my only fears are just the cancer risks and the swallowing /aspiration fears. Though, I try to keep myself busy each day, but whenever I eat this bs just bothers me.

 

I'm not sure who here, has these symptoms like myself or had symptoms like myself, and could give me advice on this because I'm unsure what I have.

[SapphireNoir10]

I know that swallowing issues can be acid reflux but that they can also be symptoms of more serious things like Oesophageal cancer. Has that been ruled out? I have no idea what it could be. Can you go back to the doctor?

[Fudgie]

Please go see another ENT specialist. The trouble swallowing sounds really weird. I have GERD and I don't have that. It's either something more serious or you're causing damage to your esophagus because you're not getting the right treatment for your problem.

 

I would stop the tums because tums actually can make stomach acid worse. Tums are not good for GERD sufferers, it just leads to more acid.

[ThatwasThen]

You need to see a doctor and get the proper tests done for your symptoms. You could have Acid Reflux, Cancer, an ulcer, hiatus hernia or nothing but hypochondria. I have acid reflux and a hiatus hernia and on occasion I have had your symptoms until I was diagnosed and now one Nexium tablet daily has alleviated all of my symptoms.

 

Go-and-get-yourself an appointment with someone that can refer you to getting the proper testing done. Ultrasound, GI Serious, Barium X-ray and blood work.

 

A forum board is not where you'll find what you need to find out.

 

Good luck, son.

[Pixels]

I have GERD. I almost definitely inherited a weak esophageal sphincter which is the cause for me.

 

I take... Something... I forget the name, because I'm bad about taking it regularly (I'm a bad human)... Your stomach has specific cells in it which are specialized to produce stomach acid... There's a complicated cell-signaling cascade involved that I can't totally recall off the top of my head... Anyways... When you take tums the calcium carbonate neutralizes the acid (sort of like sodium carbonate in vinegar). However, because your body knows that you stomach needs to have an acidic environment your stomach starts producing more acid to combat the neutralizing effects of the tums... With regular use of tums the cells in your stomach eventually adapt to become hyper-sensitive to the "make acid" messages until you're actually causing a bigger problem than you had before...

 

The stuff I'm on (really wish I could remember the name....) works by actively inhibiting the "make acid" cells... Your stomach maintains the acidic environment it needs, but the cells themselves are slowed down...

 

My diagnosis was done with x-ray. I drank a liquid that could be traced through x-ray, and they positioned me on a table and could physically photograph the liquid being forced back up my esophagus. My only symptom was food regurgitation with no irritation of any sort. I only had it looked at because of the concern of my partner at the time.

 

That's all the advice I can give...

 

Also, maybe ditch the creatine... Those supplements are scams. Your body makes it, if it needed more, it would make more. If you're eating right it has plenty of resources to do so... The stuff you're ingesting is largely being filtered out and passed through urine/excrement. Creatine's involved in production of ATP but it's only one (out of many) components in the process... It's an equilibrium system... Thankfully for us, many of those components are closely linked together so our body can adapt to demands as necessary. We need sugar and water to make ATP. In fact those are the two most crucial components of the system... Are you going to take sugar-water pills? No, because that just sounds dumb... But I'll bet you a mint I could find a way to market them.

[ThatwasThen]

Don't do anything except get the professional diagnosis you need to be getting. You will be directed on what you should and shouldn't be taking if you're properly diagnosed.

[ThatwasThen]

Sorry but I'm compelled to reiterate: Don't do anything except get the professional diagnosis you need to be getting. You will be directed on what you should and shouldn't be taking if you're properly diagnosed.

[ThatwasThen]

Adding: It would be irresponsible to your own well being, Op to not be taking meds that will aid in keeping you from getting Cancer of the Esophagus caused by acid erosion. if your doctor prescribes them then take them. He will monitor you and inform you of any recalls or discoveries about your meds as well as any new medications that are available for your problem.

 

Nexium as proven to be a huge reliever of all of my symptoms with zero side affects and I've been on it now for about 4 years with no ill affects. *knocks on wood*

[Pixels]

acid blockers were recently shown to cause heart problems.you can get a diagnosis but then you need to do your own studying and experimentation and try to stay off of prescriptions

 

Please provide citations for that claim which describe the mechanism... Physiologically it makes no sense to me, and is contrary to all currently regarded research. I would further add their length of use without a recognized indication of significant risk is a relevant statistic...

 

I'd like to know because I'm currently taking them myself...

[Fudgie]

I have to take Prilosec everyday for the rest of my life not for GERD exactly but because I had most of my stomach removed and my normal acid production is too much.

 

The heart problems have not yet been fully proven. It's very iffy. There is evidence of increased fracture risk. Remember, it's up to you and your doctor and he and you can go through the risks and benefits.

 

For me, I'll take fracture risk and possible heart issues over not taking an acid blocker. I can't function without it, and I am so much healthier now. The risks are worth it.

[ThatwasThen]

yes, I'd rather take a calcium, vitamin D and Omega supplement, and forego stomach or Esophagus cancer due to acid burn. The pros certainly outweigh the cons and with good monitoring of your bone density, viola and c'est la vie!

[Fudgie]

Yep I take calcium supplements and I am fine. It's all about benefit vs. risk. There is risk to most medications but if you benefit enough, it's worth it.

[Cailinsona]

You need to see a gastroenterologist and have an upper GI endoscopy.

[alli]

When you take Prilosec be sure to take it with a full glass of water in the morning at least 30 minutes before eating anything else. Do NOT take tums, vitamins, milk or food at the same time, as they will reduce absorption of the drug. If you take tums or vitamins, don't take them 4 hours before or after taking Prilosec. Basically, some things such as calcium will bind to some drugs if taken at the same time, so the drug just passes through your system before your body can even use them.

 

You probably already know this, but try to eat smaller meals throughout the day rather than a few large meals. Don't lie down immediately after eating. Reduce caffeine and alcohol & see if that helps. Wine is guaranteed to give me heartburn. You might even want to keep a food diary, writing down what you ate, when you ate it, if you got heartburn/trouble swallowing & when that occurred. It can help you see if there are certain foods that are especially causing your symptoms.

 

Also, Prilosec takes some time to work. To see a full effect you really need to be taking it every day for a while. Not just on the days you feel that you need it.

 

I don't think constipation is a side effect of Prilosec. More often the problem is diarrhea/loose stools. Perhaps you are constipated because you aren't able to eat as much with the trouble swallowing.

 

I'm not sure what a silent aspiration is but if that had occurred, you would have food stuck in your trachea, not your esophagus, which would lead to trouble breathing rather than trouble swallowing.

 

Also, while Barrett's esophagus & esophageal cancer is a concern with GERD, it typically takes many years to develop. You are only 23, so I would be very surprised if you had esophageal cancer right now. However it is good to get this taken care of now so it doesn't become a concern in the future.

 

You just saw your doctor a week ago. Give the meds some time to work. I see he increased the dose from 20mg to 40mg, so you should start to feel some improvement within the next couple weeks.

 

If you feel that you cannot eat anything, cannot swallow at all or are having trouble breathing, go to the ER. If your weight drops more (say, another 5-10 pounds within the next 2 weeks), call your doctor and tell him. Try to drink sips of water & Gatorade throughout the day so that you don't become dehydrated which can actually be pretty dangerous. If you don't start feeling improvement 2 weeks from now, call your doctor and tell him. And if you don't feel any improvement in 2 weeks and you don't feel your doctor is doing anything about it, I would get a second opinion.

 

Also, I think you should lay off the creatine until this is resolved. You are supposed to take it with a lot of water and as you said, you are having trouble drinking anything. You are giving your kidneys a run for their money taking it when you can't drink much water. You can't really build up muscle if you are hardly eating anything anyway.

 

If I was your doctor and you came back to me 3 weeks from your last appointment with no improvement, I would consider doing an endoscopy of your full esophagus & maybe a gastric emptying test. Normally the vagal nerve stimulates your GI tract to do "peristalsis", which are contractions that push food through your GI tract. So I would want to see if your GI tract is still pushing food along as it should.

[scorpion91]

Guys,

 

I appreciate the tips you all had sent. The swallowing problem is more too certain solid food than liquids. I think my issue is a Cricopharyngeal spasms/globus hystericus with anxiety/palpitation episoes. I've realized now that the swallowing is connected to anxiety. At lunch and dinner time, I get random fast heart rate(palpitation) feeling and a hard "push" to swallow solids(e.g.meats, chicken, beef...) I notice the chronic palpitation I get have lasted a while.

 

I bought some OTC supplements to help with the anxiety/palpitations/globus/cricopharyngeal episodes.

 

So far, I bought Boiron Sedalia Stress Relief which helped a little bit.

.

I noticed a bit more improvement with some 5htp(100mg 2x) though I have a little anixety/palpitations with the 5HTP

 

I'm unsure what is causing the palpitations/severe anxiety/Cricopharyngeal spasms episodes.They've been bothering me since early May of this year and flare up at random times. I'm 23, somewhat fit. I don't do "hard drugs" and drink only when I'm with friends and smoke occasional marijauana with friends.

 

I thought I had throat cancer or esophagus cancer, but judging from the comments from the guys here I would've had symptoms lasting for years and years.

 

So I can assume that the palpitation/anxiety episodes are causing these "swallow problems." I went to a Cardio doc and I did an echo and stress and even a 24 hr holtor which said it was mostly fine, with slight tachy but fine. The echo was normal so its nothing with the cardiovascular system I assume.

 

Though I did have a sinus arrythmia ECG at my PCP in April of this year but my PCP said it wasn't serious or showing need to go to the ER.

November 2014 I went to a ER. I had a week of palpitations, and I felt like I was having a stroke or heart attack. I did blood work and ECG. ECG showed right axis deviation and CK at 600 something.

 

The last time I had a swallow problem was in Sept 2012 and I had a massive palpitation anxiety attack.But I was treated with Ativan at the hospital.

 

I'm unsure what is causing the palpitations while eating. I know I have "issues" I deal with but I'm unsure if that is causing the palpitation problems. I mean I don't really have a "stress" lifestyle. I mean I'm not a ER DOC or judge or Wall Street Broker, I'm a 23 year old graduate student. Yes, I do party but not everyday. Though, maybe some issues I've dealt with are causing the swallowing problem.